Draws and Fades: Brooks Koepka lurking into weekend at Valspar Championship
21H AUG
Highlights | Round 2 | Valspar Championship | 2026
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Written by Jimmy Reinman
The minimize has been made at the 2026 Valspar Championship, and
defending champion Viktor Hovland is among the big names headed for an early exit from the Copperhead Course.
For these seeking to leap into the betting motion at the halfway level, there are nonetheless loads of robust choices. Just a few marquee names sit in favorable positions, with loads of carnage on deck over the weekend.
The issue of the Copperhead Course is what makes it such an underrated cease on the TOUR schedule, with its harsh format producing successful scores within the low teenagers in recent times. Players who discover their groove and put up rounds within the 66-67 vary over the weekend can leapfrog the sector identical to Hovland and Justin Thomas did final 12 months.
So do not get too nervous with the names atop the leaderboard, particularly with a scarcity of successful pedigree amongst these on the entrance web page by way of 36 holes.
Let’s have a look at the percentages supplied by DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Sungjae Im (+260)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+830)
- David Lipsky (+980)
- Doug Ghim (+1125)
- Chandler Blanchet (+1175)
- Brooks Koepka (+1750)
- Jacob Bridgeman (+1800)
- Alex Smalley (+1850)
- Marco Penge (+2250)
- Corey Conners (+2400)
- Jordan Smith (+2500)
- Patrick Cantlay (+3100)
- Xander Schauffele (+3200)
With loads of work nonetheless to go to resolve our Snake champion, let’s have a look at three huge names which might be obtainable for a reduction forward of Moving Day.
What a day for Koepka. He went out in an even-par 36, then ripped off 4 birdies on the again 9 to shoot 67 and enter the weekend at 4-under, tied for tenth. Koepka has been quietly trending, enhancing every week since returning to the TOUR this season, and this may be his sharpest exhibiting but.
Brooks Koepka hits 167-yard tee shot to 7 ft, units up birdie at Valspar
He leads the sector in Strokes Gained: Approach, choosing up a staggering 5.5 strokes on the sector. But the most important inexperienced flag is his placing. After struggling early within the 12 months and switching to a mallet, Koepka is gaining 1.7 strokes with the flatstick. That’s a harmful combo and a transparent signal to take a position.
Bridgeman was one to flag after an opening-round 3-under 68, and his 1-under 70 on Friday did nothing to shake that confidence.
Jacob Bridgeman hits 274-yard method to 29 ft, units up birdie on No. 5 at Valspar
The FedExCup chief sits at 4-under, tied for eleventh coming into the weekend, and remains to be obtainable at what looks like a price worth at 18 to at least one, particularly contemplating the dearth of star-power within the names forward of him.
He ranks sixth within the area in Approach and simply wants to scrub up his chipping, the one space the place he is shedding strokes by way of two rounds. If that half sharpens up, he is firmly in play. This is a spot to think about investing in Top 10, Top 5 and outright markets.
Xander Schauffele (+3200)
Despite a closing bogey that introduced him house at 1-over for the day and 2-under for the week, there’s nonetheless lots to love about Schauffele’s place.
Xander Schauffele hits 185-yard method to 9 ft, units up birdie on No. 3 at Valspar
He’s shedding a little bit of floor off the tee and on the greens, however making up for it with robust method play. Schauffele is constantly top-of-the-line putters on TOUR, which makes this a primary time to leap in earlier than he finds his rhythm on the greens.
At simply seven pictures again, he is firmly in hanging distance.
